OPERATIONS OF THE YEAR. 
APPROPRIATIONS. 
The maintenance and operations of the National Museum for the 
fiscal year from July 1, 1920, to June 30, 1921, were provided for by 
the following amounts appropriated in the sundry civil bill ap- 
proved June 5, 1920, and in the first and second deficiency bills ap- 
proved on March 1 and June 16, 1921, respectively : 
Preservation’ of ‘collections=20 00050 t) oo ees ee $312, 620. 00 
Purniturekand, fixturesi3r an CA AERC TOE GU Te 20, 000. 00 
Heating-and lightingeed a Jleru. 2s, De aapeeia din 74, 000. 00 
SIMONE DAIES — es os ee Is oe 10, 000. 00 
TES 0 ea ats et eS 2, 000. 00 
| OSHA a ee pr gpa nto aka pe TENS Be a a BE 500. 00 
Rrinting and) binging see ee ee 64, 202. 70 
483, 322. 70 
The item for preservation of collections, from which are paid the 
administrative, scientific, preparatorial, and clerical staff, the watch, 
labor, and cleaning force, and the cost of all preservatives, has re- 
mained at $300,000 from 1911 until the present time. The additional 
$12,620 this year was given for the extension of the service to cover 
an additional building—the Freer Gallery of Art—for which it pro- 
vided watchmen, cleaners, and clerical help and the necessary mis- 
cellaneous supplies needed in connection therewith. It afforded no 
cessation of the strictest economy by means of which only is it pos- 
sible to continue the operations of the Museum. Present conditions 
can perhaps best be realized when it is mentioned that 10 years ago 
the item of $300,000 was considered insufficient to cover the needs of 
the Museum in these lines. Within this half decade, with its tre- 
mendous decrease in the purchasing power of the dollar, over 3,000,000 
specimens have been added to the collections, the scope of the Museum 
has been materially enlarged, and an additional building has been 
added to the Museum group, aside from the Freer Gallery. The 
appropriation alone has remained stationary. 
During this period increases have been granted, however, in the 
items for heating and lighting and for printing and binding, owing 
to the increased cost of coal and the tremendous increase in the cost 
of labor, paper, and other materials used in printing. On the other 
hand, even with the greatly extended service, the item for building 
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